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Plumstead Central School/ Conway Primary School
'....I started at Conway
School in 1930. It was certainly advanced for
its time. We even started on Algebra among other
subjects that were normally reserved for senior
schools.
The head teacher in my time was a Mr Allen,
known as Daddy Allen. He was a very proud man.
He was a Fellow of the Linnean Society, a
society concerned with certain species of
plants. He used to get letters from a branch in
Holland, addressed to 'Dr. Allen', which he
would read out proudly at school assembly.
School assembly took place every morning and
evening and we had to stand to attention and
salute as the names of boys of the school were
read out who had died in the war (WWI).....' See Sid Blanche's Story

Photo: Spike (Hubert
Manwaring-Spencer)
(Click on photo for a much larger view)
'This very early school
photograph is a school in Plumstead in the
1890's, but which one I have no idea. (Possibly
Conway?)
My grandfather, Arthur
Manwaring is in the front row of desks, on your
left as you look at it.'

Plumstead Central School c.1930 Photo: Iris
Gildon
(Click on photo for larger image)
Iris Hannaford (now
Gildon) is second in from left in back row.
Plumstead Central School c.1930 Photo: Iris
Gildon
(Click on photo for a larger view)
Cissi (the girl Iris wrote
to in the “Blitz
over Plumstead and districts” story) is
back row, far left.
Iris next row down, standing forth from left.
Cissi's sister, far left next row down.

Plumstead Central School 1933 - Photo: Iris
Gildon
(Click on photo for a larger view)
Iris' brother, Cecil, is first on the left, back
row

Iris Hannaford (now Gildon) at 13 years old -
ready for one of the school dances in my pink
satin dress made by my mother.

Ron Bramble, Conway School photo, 1939. Photo:
Ron Bramble
A souvenir of Conway Road
School, taken in rather an interesting year,
don't you think?

Conway Road School, class X, 1934. Photo:
Margaret Forbes.
(Click on photo for a larger view)
The girl with fringe, 2nd row on left, with a
cross on front of dress is Peggy Harris from
Gunning Street.

Conway Road School, class XI, 1934. Photo:
Margaret Forbes.
(Click on photo for a larger view)

Conway Road Infants School 1950 - Photo: Alan
Gibbs
(click on photo for a larger view)
See story: Conway
Primary School Remembered
Names of pupils in the
Conway Road Infants Class 1950 Photo.
Top row, left to right.
2nd boy; Dave Clancy
4th boy, Alan Gibbs
5th Boy, Michael Shaw
6th boy, Albert Burrell (His parents ran the
Brewery Tap Pub)
Albert's son Ian writes: Michael Shaw and Albert
started on the same day aged 5 and are still
close friend (how many can claim that!).
Apparently this is a rare photo of them standing
together as they were regularly separated in
class. Grandad was the manger of the pub but mum
& dad ran the pub the way they wanted to and
lived in it. Apparently it was a great
playground for young boys!
7th boy, Derick Ives
9th boy, Frank Perfitt.
....................................................
2nd row, from top, left to right
.
2nd boy, Brian Laurence (I think)
...................................................
3rd row, from top, left to right.
1st girl, Margaret Ball
3rd boy, Barry Stove
4th boy, Brian Moore
5th boy, Terry Holttum.
Margaret Forbes says: “2nd
row from front, 3rd girl on the right, dark hair
and cardigan is Joanie Forbes from Bannockburn
Road. Joan had a sudden heart attack and died at
the age of 46 years, she was my husbands
sister.”
My name is Terry Holttum
,although At Wackham college I was known as Tim.
I went to Conway Road school and I can remember
my first teacher Miss Lloyd, nitty Nora, and the
virol Mr Lovett -what an absolute sadist he was,
so full of himself, anyway I went to the college
and started off in Mr Waites class he was the
music teacher not that we learnt much music
anyway after a grand failure in that class I
went into Mr Evans class and spent the rest of
the time at Wackham in this class during this
time I went to the Isle of thorns camp twice. I
remember Peter Goldsack, Peter Abraham’s, Peter
Young Jimmy Cotter, Billy Forbes, Charlie Farmer
and Charlie Palmer, Tom Smith.
None of us had a clue what we were there for but
we all seemed to have a good laugh.
I went into the navy after I left and did a
couple of trips with Harry Hooper
If you recognise yourself,
or someone else, Please email me.

Conway Infants Class, 1949. -
Photo:Alan West
See story: Conway
Primary School Remembered
Front row (L to R): 1st
boy: William (Bill) Heywood; 2nd - Colin
Weightman, 6th - Peter Beezer.
Second row from Back (L to
R) : 3rd Rodney Balderson?; 4th - John Saunders,
8th Alan West, 12th Conal Condren.
(Do you recognise yourself
or a classmate? If so, email me)

Conway Road Primary School Class of “1950” – 1A
– Mr Jenkins Class. Photo: Sheila May Lee (nee
Jordan)
Top Row: Gordon Jefferies,
Jimmy Beaumont, Norman Shelley(?), Jean Bryant,
Kathleen Cogger, Valerie Pearcey, John Anderson,
Rennie Purvis, Eric Hoskins(?), David Lightfoot
Middle row: Richard
Cogger, Roy Hiscocks, Sheila Munro, Sandra
McLoughlin, Pat Stapley, Pamela Finch, ??,
Sheila Jordan, Brian Bull, Michael Hume, Charles
Dibble, Eddie Lancaster
Front row: Marilyn Whale, ??, Lily Hollamby,
Pamela Hubbard, Patricia ?, Barbara Singleton,
??, Elizabeth Tasker, Jennifer Brind, Joyce
Connelly
Front row on ground: Fred Jury, ???, David
Harrington, David Kirk, Craig Octon.

Conway Road Footbal team 1950. Photo: Sheila May
Lee (nee Jordan)
The 1950 Football Team is
a little hazy for me - Mr Latham, Cyril Bull and
Mr
Mockeridge in the back of course.
Next row - Norman Shelley, Michael Hume, ??, ??,
Brian Disberry
Sitting down row - ??, Alan Mustin, Gordon
Jefferies, ??, ??
Can't remember the goalie either.

Michael Hume is 10 in this photo. Read his sad
story -“Michael
Hume’s Family Story”

Finally the more up-to-date one when we had a
reunion. (Photo: Sheila May Lee (nee Jordan)
L to R: John Anderson,
Sheila Jordan, David Kirk, Brian Disberry (died
c.2006) and Sheila Whittal.

1953 Class photo - Conway School. See below for
names of the students.
(Click on photo for a larger view)
Tony Bryant writes: In the
third row from the front, 3rd from right, is
Terry Grimsley. I still see him about once a
year and he lives in Seaton, Devon.

(Click on photo for MUCH larger view)

Conway Road school trip to
the Isle of Wight taken c.1953. Photo: Janet
Fagg (nee Beal).
Tony Bryant writes: I am
in the bottom row of the photo wearing glasses
(Third from right). I remember going to the Isle
of Wight with the school. It was my first escape
from my parents and had a great time atthe Lake.
I still have the notebook we all had to fill in
observations on the holiday. I was wearing
glasses until the day I started work. I did not
need them after that until I was in my 50's. I
am now 67 (2009) and living in Polegate, East
Sussex.
The child on the bottom
row third from left is, I believe, Howard Offer.
He lived in Ancona Road and when we moved to
Bloomfield Road School we used to walk together
to school. I have always wondered about him and
would like to contact him for a reminisce of the
old days as we lost contact in the late 1950's.
Sylvia Jeter (nee Beamish)
writes:
Here are the names of some of the
faces, starting at the back and going left to
right:
Back Row, No. 2 & 3 are the Brown Twins, I
think one was Margaret, can't remember the name
of the other one, but think they lived on Hector
Street. No 4 is Rosemary Copeland, then Joan
Ball, Margaret Harrison and Keith ?. Don't know
who that is on the end.
2nd from back row: Don't know the names of 1
& 2. No 3 is David Collison. No 5 is my
brother Barry Beamish, next to him is Derek
Hill. 7 & 8 don't know. Then No 9 is Sylvia
?, followed by Pat Bruce. On the end, No 12, is
Barbara Thomas.
3rd row from back: No 2 is David Clark. The
teachers are Mr Legg and that must be his wife.
Then Mr and Mrs Jenkins. Don't recognize the
other teacher. Pat Jordan is next to her, then
Maureen?, and the girl on the end I recognize,
but can't recall her name, I think her last name
was Parker.
4th row from the back: Ivy Leath, Claire ? (3)
?, (4) Ann Byrd or Bird (5) me, Sylvia Beamish
Jeter (6) Irene Hughes, (7) Sylvia Wells (8)
Beatrice Cummings 9 & 10 don't know.
Front Row: No 2 is Godfrey Chinchin, then Trevor
Howard. No 6 is Trevor ?, No 8 is Tony Bryant
and the two on the end I don't recognize.
Janet Fagg didn't identify herself and I am
wondering if she is No 9 on the 4th row from the
back.

Conway School - Isle of Wight school camp -
Photo: Alan West
The girl on the bottom row
third from left is my sister Irene Margaret Ball
(known as Margaret), John Singleton is sixth
from left. I, John Ball, was born in 1943 and
Margaret was two years younger than me. We lived
in Chestnut Rise and all my brothers and sisters
(there were 6 of us) went to Conway but to
different secondary schools.
The girl in the third row
5th from left was Sandra Lee. She lived in a
Tobacconist/Sweet Shop in Brewery Road near Earl
Rise.
Do you recognise anyone?
If so, email
me.

Alan West, Conway School (click on photo for a
larger view)
Read his story: Memories
of childhood

Conway Class - Alan West is second row down from
back, two in. Photo: Alan West
Do you recognise anyone
else?

Conway Road Junior School class photo, May
1953 Miss Lloyd’s class F. Photo: Jacqueline
Wilmot
(Click photo for a larger view)
See story Memories
of a Young Plumstead Girl
Top Row:
Brian Toy, Stephen Birch, Graham Clarke,Michael
Norris, Terry Dawes, Barbara Powell, Marion
Haywood, Hillary Cullen, Terry Littlewood,
Graham Hooper, Michael Baker.
Middle row: Ray Hindham, Diane
Rufus, Jacqueline Alcorn (now Willmott), Ann
Paist, Kathleen Combes, Howard Alexander, Rita
Reeves, Douglas Green, Serenity Coombes, Raymond
lambert, Lenny Dickens, Dennis Stapley.
Front row on chairs: Jose
Skoow, Lnorx Huutly (?), Margaret Middleton,
Pauline Thompson, Alec Past (?), Malcolm Somers,
Julie Lawrence, Jeanette lawrence, Pat Cambell.
Front row on ground: Julian
brown, Clifford Mitchell, David Tarun.
Thanks to Julie (nee)
Lawrence for the list of names.

Football team Conway Primary School c.1949.
See story That
Soccer Game
Mark Weightman is on the
right, kneeling.
back row: Mr Lovatt, Mr Cyril Bull, headmaster,
Mr Gilder

Conway School Football Cup winners 1950-1951.
(Click on photo for a larger size)
Back row: Mr. Jenkins, Mr.
Bull (Headmaster), Mr. Mockeridge, Mr. Lovatt
Back row (standing boys):
David Lightfoot, Richard Cogger, ?, ?
Row sitting on chairs: ?,
Alan Mustin, Norman Shelly, Brian Penfold, ?
Front row: John Warr, ?
Do you recognise anyone
else?? If so please email me

Conway School Football Team 1949
See story That
Soccer Game
Back row: Headmaster Cyril
Bull (Bowtie), Mr Mockeridge
Standing Row: ??, ??,
Ronnie MacMinnermin (Goal Keeper), ??, ??, Colin
(?) Dean.
Front row: Gordon
Jeffries, Colin Lever, Mark Weightman (with
ball), ??, ??
Do you recognise anyone
else?? If so please email me

Conway School - Roger Herbert (now Harry Layne)
Photo: Harry Lane
See story
Memories of When We Were Young

Colin Weightman aged about 8

Colin Weightman at school aged 10
(click on photo for larger view)
See story
Conway Primary School Remembered

Anne Clarke (born 1944);
School photo aged 11, at her last year at Conway
Primary School.
See story Anne
Clarke Remembers

Conway Road School, approx 1955. Photo: Julie
(nee) Lawrence
(Click on photo for a larger view)

Conway Road School, Class 10, approx 1956.
Photo: Julie (nee) Lawrence

Conway Primary School 1958. Photo: Ivor Dunmall
(Click on photo for a MUCH larger view)

Conway Junior School 1959. Photo:Ivor Dunmall
(Click on photo for a MUCH larger view)
Back row (left to right):
M. Watts, K. Koney, C. Dow, M. Bedford, J.
Farrer, J. Hewitt, R. Paice, D. Maslin, R.
Vince.
Next row (left to right):
C. Sparrow, J. Farmer, L. Gowers, M. Redman, E.
Mundy, L. Colls, M. Sweeting, D. Potter, S.
Smith, G. Marchant.
Next row (left to right):
L. Burton, D. Dixon, S. Maxim, I. Roberts, Miss
Carter (Teacher), S. Guard, A. Minkey, J. Eiles,
J. Burnett.
Front row (left to right):
G. Stickings, Ivor Dunmall, P. Preckopp, M.
Keith, G. Grange, S. Wilson, K. Deadman.

The photo shows Mr. Reeves, taken in 1959. I
am in the third row at the right end. Photo:
Robert Morris
(Click on photo for a larger view)
Info kindly supplied by
Pat Miller
Back Row :
3rd. left : Raymond Collins. 5th. from left:
Peter King. 6th. from
left: Tony Whitbread { I think! }
7th. from left: Conrad Sweeting.
Next Row :
1st. : Graham Stroud. 8th. from left: Angela
Dawes.
Front Row :
4th. from left: ME (Pat Miller)

This photo was taken either 1960 or 61. Photo:
Robert Morris
(Click on photo for a larger view)
The boy in the back row, far right is Pat
Miller.
This would have been my
last term at Conway. The teacher was not in this
shot but his name was Mr. Mockeridge. I would
dearly love to know what happened to all these
kids. At Conway Road I was in an early music
band but was only allowed to play the triangle.
I remember the music teacher, who played
Handel's Water Music most of the time, wore
horn-rim glasses and had purple hair. When she
sneezed she would say “A-jug”! - Robert Morris

Conway Road School Class of 1960 - Photo: Derek
Crompton
(Click on photo for a much larger view)
Looking at my school
report for 1960 class 1c. I came 31 out of a
class of 38. Gone down hill since then. Our head
teacher was a Mrs F SKELTON. The form mistress
was M.K.A. CARTER. She wrote “Derek has made
good progress”. I think that was more out of
pity more then fact.
We look a happy load of kids. The wind must have
been blowing from the direction of the Beasley
Brewery just up and across the road from the
school. Or did they bribe us with a half day of?
I'm sitting with my legs crossed (can't do that
anymore) front row on the right end (looking at
picture).
Notice the speaker on the wall.

Conway Road School 1961 - Class 2JW. Photo:
Derek Crompton
(Click on photo for a much
larger version)
Back row left to right
Bernard EDWARDS; Peter BEARD; x; x; x; Peter
O'NEIL; x; Gorden CHRISTY; x
Middle row left to right
Mary COOK; x; Mark DEADMAN; x; Derek CROMPTON;
Derek STEAL; x; x; David VINE; Alan MUNDAY
Front row left to right
x; x; Brian RAINSBURY; x;x; x; Peter MILLS; x;
x; x
Can anyone help with the
x's?

Conways School 1961 - Class 2JW - report card.
Photo: Derek Crompton
(Click on photo for a much
larger view)
M.E. WATTS was class
mistress. I was 33 out of 38 this year. Can I
help it if I'm in a class of super brains. Was
it that free milk in those small bottles or
those strange reddish tablets? Nether of which
did me much good as my London County Council
school report shows. What is Science? - Derek.
John Ball aged about 6 or 7 at Conway Road
School. Photo: John Ball
Teaching Staff at Conway Road School c.1954-5.
Photo: John Ball
(Click on photo for a larger view)

This is a part copy of the intake register when
I joined Conway Lane School (Junior). Photo:
John Ball
(Click on photo for a HUGE view)
Along with a friend who
also went to the school we visited Conway School
two years ago. We were made very welcome and
were given a tour of the school. The school had
changed very little. The outside toilets had
gone and there was a small new extension but
overall the school had not changed that much. In
particular the small narrow cloakrooms were
still used for the same purpose and it was very
strange standing there taking it in.

Conway Lane School class photo c.1954. Photo:
Sandra Hilton
Sandra Lee (now Hilton) is back row second from
right.

When at Conway to stop us
little mites from getting squashed and damaging
peoples cars. Some bright spark stuck signs on
the paving slabs to warn us of the danger, of
crossing the road to school. Needles to say over
the time the paths have been dug up and relaid.
Also the number of parked cars made it
impossible to cross in any case. This appears to
be the last semi intact one in Gallosson Road
opposite the school keepers house. (see below)
The water company is on
the way shortly. So another bit of the past
vanishes.
Derek Crompton

Conway Primary School Keepers Cottage (2006)
situated in school grounds near Gallosson Road
gate entrance. Photo: Alan Gibbs
(Click on photo for a larger view)

Conway Primary School in 2005. Photo: Alan Gibbs
(Click on photo for a larger view)

Conway Primary School (2005) from Bebbington
Road. Photo: Alan Gibbs
(Click on photo for a larger view)
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